Mum's £40,000 fraud to avoid council house (From Daily Echo)
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Mum's £40,000 fraud to avoid council house
3:50pm Tuesday 20th November 2012 in News
A MUM conned more than £40,000 from the taxpayer because she did not want to live in a council house, a court heard.
Elizabeth Dempsey kept quiet about her £90,000 nest egg when signing forms for income support, council tax and housing benefit.
Southampton Crown Court heard how the single mum from Romsey rented a property at £1,000 a month.
Ximena Jones, defending, said Dempsey wanted the best for her son, who has autism.
She said: “She wanted to live in a nice house in a nice area. She thought if she told the truth she knew it would mean a change in her lifestyle.
"The court heard how Dempsey, 41, of Horsecroft Road, has paid back £3,000 and was now paying the rest out of her income support benefits – because she had spent all her savings on her lifestyle. Miss Jones said her client knew she faced jail but was petrified about the impact of this on her son.
Dempsey had admitted three charges of benefits fraud.
Sentencing Judge Patrick Hooton told Dempsey: “You should have thought of him when you started this fraud.
"You must have realised at some stage while you stole all that money from the taxpayer that your child, who does not necessarily have all the advantages, was at risk of being left without a mother.
“Because people who are caught with this sort of money, stealing it like you did, go to prison – do you understand?”
But Judge Hooton stepped back from jailing her on the spot, instead suspending a 12 month sentence for two years, imposing a supervision order plus 100 hours’ unpaid work.
A confiscation hearing was also arranged to help recoup the costs of her fraud.
Judge Hooton said: “It seems to me it is at least likely you will be able to pay most of it back. You will have to cut your cloth to fit your lifestyle. If you have to live in a council house you have to live in a council house.”
Comments(13)
ohec
says...
4:24pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Reality-man
says...
4:34pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Reality-man
says...
4:34pm Tue 20 Nov 12
solomum
says...
4:48pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Reality-man wrote:She won't be recieving income support if she has 90k in savings.
So she will pay back the money she stole ......From her income support?!! So WE are paying her debt? Laughable
bigfella777
says...
5:35pm Tue 20 Nov 12
solomum wrote:It says in the story she has spent it on her lifestyle, more likely hidden it somewhere.
Reality-man wrote: So she will pay back the money she stole ......From her income support?!! So WE are paying her debt? LaughableShe won't be recieving income support if she has 90k in savings.
If she had any sense she would have put a large deposit on a house and then lived somewhere nice forever.
Inform Al
says...
9:36pm Tue 20 Nov 12
andysaints007
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1:14am Wed 21 Nov 12
Inform Al wrote:Well she probably will be one now - moron
Oh well, at least the usual moron's won't be blaming a council tenant.
Dr_Sicknote
says...
2:52pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Consider the case of Dan Penteado who received 12 weeks for a theft of £24,000.
I know this woman (Libby) personally, having dealt with her nastiness in the past and I am sure she will conduct herself in future with the usual brazenness she has done since I've known her,
nory87
says...
4:46pm Thu 22 Nov 12
She is completely up herself and judgmental of people who have children young and live in council houses. So I think this is hilarious that she has been shown in her true light.
Perhaps she could sell a the pointless things she has brought in order to pay us tax payers back!
nory87
says...
4:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
She is completely up herself and judgmental of people who have children young and live in council houses. So I think this is hilarious that she has been shown in her true light.
Perhaps she could sell a the pointless things she has brought in order to pay us tax payers back!
Evilbitch
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8:54pm Thu 22 Nov 12
nory87
says...
9:41am Fri 23 Nov 12
Evilbitch wrote:Agreed
You sick **** lying, that child is no way autistic. Us tax payers are paying your debt while you get drunk everyday, you should have gone to prison and your son should have gone to live with his dad, he would have been better off.
sofa_king_right says...
4:10pm Tue 20 Nov 12